Rohit Sharma's ODI Double Centuries Explained: Three Times 200+

Rohit Sharma (born 1987 in Nagpur, Maharashtra) holds an extraordinary record: three ODI double centuries — 209 against Australia at Bengaluru in 2013; 264 against Sri Lanka at Kolkata in 2014 (the highest individual score in ODI history); and 208 not out against Sri Lanka at Mohali in 2017. No other cricketer in history has scored more than one ODI double century. Rohit's achievement is without parallel in the 50-year history of ODI cricket — a format that was widely considered 'too short' for double centuries until Sachin Tendulkar's 200 not out in 2010.

The 264: World Record ODI Score

Rohit's 264 against Sri Lanka at Eden Gardens, Kolkata (November 2014) is the highest individual score in any ODI innings. He faced 173 balls for 264, including 33 fours and 9 sixes (strike rate 152). The innings was built on exceptionally flat Eden Gardens pitch; Sri Lanka's bowling was not their strongest that series. Rohit batted from overs 1–50, including through a middle period when he was less aggressive, then accelerated dramatically in the final 15 overs. He hit nine sixes — at the time the most in a single ODI innings. The innings surpassed Martin Guptill's 237 not out (New Zealand vs West Indies, 2015) as the ODI world record.

Playing as Opener vs Middle Order

A significant context for all three double centuries: Rohit scored all of them as an opening batter. He was originally selected as a middle-order batter for India (numbers 5–6) where he scored inconsistently despite obvious talent. MS Dhoni converted him to opener in 2013 for the bilateral Champions Trophy (which India won); Rohit's ODI average as opener far exceeded his middle-order average because he had the full 50 overs to build an innings. The move to opening revealed what his talent could achieve when unconstrained by having to inherit a partially built innings.

Test Career and Captaincy

Rohit's Test career followed a similar trajectory to his ODIs — he struggled at number six before being converted to opener, after which he averaged 50+ in Tests. He succeeded Virat Kohli as India's Test and white-ball captain from 2022; under his captaincy India won the 2023 ODI World Cup group stage (lost the final), the 2024 T20 World Cup (defeating South Africa by 7 runs in the final), and the 2025 ICC Champions Trophy (defeating New Zealand by 4 wickets in the Dubai final — India's third CT title). Rohit retired from T20I cricket after the 2024 T20 World Cup, then from Tests and ODIs in 2025. His captaincy record — a T20 World Cup title, a Champions Trophy title, and a competitive ODI World Cup run — places him among India's most successful leaders.